Aspiring candidate promises regional leagues K100m
Karonga United chairperson Alufeyo Chipanga has promised to provide K100 million annual funding to regional leagues if voted in as Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president.
The soccer governing body will this December elect a new president to replace Walter Nyamilandu who has announced that he will not seek re-election, having served in the position for 14 years.
Announcing his bid for the FAM top seat during a press briefing on Tuesday in Karonga, Chipanga said time has come for football at grassroots to get enough resources.
He said his experience in football administration is enough to run the country’s football governing body.
“What is important is that I should get support from affiliates. Otherwise, I am ready to take over from the current president,” he said.
Asked where he will get the money, the Karonga United chairperson said with sound proposals, the world football governing body, Fifa has potential to provide such funding to the association.
“We have sources that we can get funding from. With sound proposals to Fifa we can get such financial support that can be provided to regional committees,” Chipanga said.
Meanwhile, Chipanga said he has arranged to meet affiliates to share his agenda.
Asked what he makes of Chipanga’s interest, Nyamilandu said the position is open to every eligible person and he welcomes anyone interested to take over from him.
“It is a level playing field which is open to any aspiring candidate. The more candidates the better so that affiliates can make informed decisions.
“It is up to the affiliates to decide the best candidate at the end of the day,” he said.
On his part, soccer analyst Peterkins Kayira urged affiliates to provide space to all interested candidates for the FAM posts.
“My appeal is for affiliates to accommodate every candidate coming to them so that we should have competitors in each post,” he said.
Former Silver Strikers chairperson McDonald Mafuta-Mwale gave up his bid for the FAM presidency, citing pressure of work as the reason.
However, in an interview with The Nation recently, the director of research and statistics at the Reserve Bank of Malawi said he has realised that his job is “very demanding”; hence, his decision to withdraw the race.
